Crunchyroll #54: Minced Meat Cutlets from “Restaurant to Another World”

Restaurant to Another World has an interesting concept – it is an anime that centers on a particular magical restaurant with a door that opens up into many different worlds. Members of those other worlds who come across this magical door and enter it discover delicious food beyond compare. From paupers to queens, there is no restraint on who can come and enjoy the restaurant’s delicacies.

What I like most about this show is the way it takes mundane food and makes it magical. In episode two, a treasure hunter stumbles across the restaurant and orders the daily special: minced meat cutlets. Now, minced meat cutlets, to me, really don’t sound all that amazing. Chocolate mousse? WOW! Lightly seared Ahi Tuna? AMAZE! Minced meat patties…Oh. You see? I just don’t think ground meat has any special appeal. It seems a little cheap, a little boring. But when Sarah Gold, the treasure hunter, takes her first bite of the humble minced meat cutlet, her experience eating it transformed my understanding of the dish.

To her, everything was new and unique. A crunchy breaded coating? Previously unheard of! Finely ground meat seasoned with spices? So tender! All of the things I took for granted about this dish, she saw as something new and amazing. Watching her eat it made me hungry, so I decided to try making this dish, and I am really, really happy that I did. I’m not sure if the recipe gods blessed me this week, but the recipe I came up with is phenomenal!

Actually, halfway through testing this recipe, I became really discouraged. My patties were falling apart, and I hate breading stuff anyway… I just wasn’t feeling it. But, instead of giving up on the recipe, I decided to try cooking just one patty to see how it tasted. The moment I took a bite of my snack, I knew I had to keep going- the cutlet was so juicy and flavorful, I really wanted to share it with you guys!

In the anime, the interior of the patty looks very white, so instead of a usual mix of ground beef and pork, I decided to use ground chicken and pork. I think this was a great decision, because it left the patty tasting light and flavorful, and allowed the other flavors, such as the nutmeg and lemon, to shine through really well. There was one ingredient I wasn’t sure about, though… Sarah called it “oranie.” I looked this up, and have no idea at all what it means. If someone can tell me, that would be great! I couldn’t find translations in Japanese, English, or Italian (my next best guess), so I’m not sure if it’s a mystery ingredient local only to her world (my current theory), or a rare word by our standards. I know it isn’t translated incorrectly, because she says ‘oranie’ in the anime very clearly. Perhaps it will forever remain a mystery.

In any case, I hope you get a chance to try this out! Sarah went on an absolute QUEST to find this recipe, so compared to everything she went through, just making it yourself is going to be much easier. 🙂

Watch the video below for more details on how to make your own minced meat cutlets!

Ingredients for Minced Meat Cutlet:

*Note: This makes a LOT, at least 16 cutlets. I would halve if you’re only feeding yourself or one or two other people.

3. Mix ground meats with salt and pepper. Add in scrambled eggs, and mix again. Add in panko mixture, and mix again. Add in onions, and mix again. Finally, add in nutmeg and mix again. (All the mixing helps evenly distribute fats throughout the mixture, which is what we want).

4. Form meat into small patties. Make sure they’re a bit thinner in the middle than they are on the edges. Set aside in the freezer about 30 minutes or until hardened slightly.

5. Heat up canola oil to 350 F (if you insert a wooden spoon handle, the handle will bubble in the oil). There should be enough oil in your pan to cover the patties, or come up at least halfway.

6. Next, dredge the patties. Coat patties first in flour, then in egg, then in panko. Immediately put into the fryer for crispiest results.

7. Cook 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown, or until clear juices run from the patty. Drain on paper towels.

8. Once you are done frying, plate up! Garnish with lemon wedge, cabbage, and katsu sauce.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Check in next week for another recipe. To check out more anime food recipes, visit my blog. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! I recently got a Twitter, so you can follow me at @yumpenguinsnack if you would like, and DEFINITELY feel free to send me food requests! My Tumblr is yumpenguinsnacks.tumblr.com. Find me on Youtube for more video tutorials! Enjoy the food, and if you decide to recreate this dish, show me pics! 😀

Looks like you were as puzzled by “oranie” as an ingredient as I was! I realized it had to be onions when I did my own recipe after the spaghetti and meat sauce episode. Anyways, thanks for sharing another dish 🙂